Anemia and Celiac - or, welcome to the irony that is my life :)

Well, as my last blood test came back with iron levels too low to register (and red cell count drastically lowered as well), my Doc and I decided to try Euro-fer (300 MG) again. Good thing to do, yes?

For the past week or so, I've been feeling crummy by the afternoon - stomach upset, gassy, low grade headache, even irritable. Sounds a little like PMS, and tat's what I thought it was, as a "visitor" came this past Saturday *wink, wink* However this past week it has been getting worse and worse, to the point that the day before I was having stomach cramps, and yesterday it was a battle of will to keep my lunch down. I ended up leaving work early. But before I made the decision to ask if I could leave early I did a little internet research. Turns out that no-one appears to be sure if Euro-fer is Gluten-free. At the least, it is listed as an oral iron suppliment / medication that can be known to irritate any existing inflammitory intestinal problems, of which Celiac is grouped into. This means that my cure is "killing" me! *LOL* Trust me, I have to laugh or I'll go crazy...

Not only do I feel miserable (but as I've stopped taking the iron I know I'll feel much better soon), but I also feel a bit like an idiot for not looking this medication up before asking for it. But not feeling that stupid - after all, when I needed it a few years ago it was shortly after I was diagnosed, and I was still used to all of the symptoms of Celiac so I didn't appear to notice any reaction to the iron at that time. Now that my Celiac is being managed, I noticed the symptoms very much.

I guess I'm posting this to let other Celiacs know that they should be cautious when taking this particular suppliment / medicaton. You may or may not react to it, I just got lucky in that particular lottery and reacted. there are other iron suppliments / medications out there, so it's not like all hope is lost. Just be sure to do some research before you make a choice as to what you figure will work for you, that's all. Once this "gunk" works out of my system I should be feeing better. In my particular case, I think I'll opt for iron infusions this time and go from there. What can I say, in my personal case "Once bitten, twice shy", but that's just me.

Take care, all, and have some fun for once - been boring here lately so stir some stuff up! :)

TTFN

In case you need a laugh...

Ok, gonna be bad and link to a page of a website. This one is about pet insurance, and I dug around and found a great page on pet breeds that is packed with information. I especially liked this one. It looks like the ideal dog breed for almost anyone - hypoallergenic, a small breed, very small appetite, very few health problems, and an all around generally low maintenance dog! Perfect! *lol* Now, I have no idea if this amazing dog will be allowed to live in our Canadian climate, but I admit I sent the company an e-mail to try and see. I'll let you know if I get to be the proud owner of this truely incredible dog...

Update on Dad:

Numbers are down to 10 (!!) - these are the inflammitory figures that all of the blood tests are for (besides checking liver and kidney function). Not bad considering he started at around 200 - 300, eh? Now it's a matter of weaning him off of the steroids again - he's like the Energiser Bunny or something lately, more like his old self - but the appetite that goes with it is having it's effects...Still, small price to pay when he can now curl his fingers to make an approximation of a fist. And thanks to him we've got the back porch and deck finished! Yay!

Me? Oh, just chugging along. Super crazy busy here on the work front - quarter-end and all that rot. Thinking of quitting the office "Social Committee" at the end of the year - due to lack of communication. Seems some members of the group think that others are psychic and know what's going on in some members minds. Yeesh - please, I get enough of that in my job, I don't need it in something that I've volunteered to do out of the goodness of my heart (and yes, I do actually have a heart, contrary to what you might have heard from the peanut gallery!) Hanging in there long enough to join the Christmas Party at the end of the year, then I'm out. Hell, I put in my three years, it's someone else's turn, for goodness sakes.

Quickly learning that Marcelle's skin care and makeup seems to be mostly gluten-free! Even they admit that some products do have gluten, but they tell you which ingredients to look out for. There's always a risk of cross-contamination - unless the company or production line is dedicated to gluten-free ONLY - but so far it's been smooth sailing. LOVING their cleansers, and the BB cream hasn't caused me any problems. Still hesitating on the lip products, but I have purchased one so I have to try it soon, or risk not being able to return it. I myself can find Marcelle products at both Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall / Pharmaplus, but I honestly have no idea if they can be found State-side...? I'd say try the big chain drugstores first - these are not salon-quality products, not super-exclusive or anything like that, but they can be a little on the pricey side. Well, pricey as compared to the drugstore brand or products like Neutrogena. Still loving my Neutrogena Naturals, but looking to branch out because my skin gets bored and wants something new every once in a while - ahhh, the wonders of being human! *lol* Oh, and still in love with my Lush brand "Coal Face" soap - my blackheads are actually a little less noticable! Wow.

Holy crow, another long entry. All the better to keep you up to date on my tiny corner of the world... ;)

TTFN!